Environment Canada has upgraded its earlier alert to a winter storm warning for southern and central Quebec, including the Montreal area, Eastern Townships and Quebec City.

The federal weather agency says to expect 15 to 30 centimetres of snow in southern and central Quebec, with as much as 45 centimetres falling in the Eastern Townships and Beauce regions, as well as the Gaspé.

The snow will begin Tuesday morning in areas west of Montreal and head east. It will be accompanied by strong winds, which may impact visibility at times.

Snow is slated to make an appearance in a number of cities along the east coast of Canada and the U.S. from now until Wednesday.

If you were planning to fly to an affected city in the next three days, Air Canada is waiving the fees to make alternate travel plans.